To Hell and Back
by Lioness075
Summary: Complete deviation from MA storyline and there are no canon characters involved. All OCs and the story goes like this...US government has adopted Itex's genetic experiments and now uses them to genetically modify their best soldiers in order to make them even better. Larassa is one of these soldiers and soon finds herself working alongside someone that she can't stand.
1. Chapter 1

_**To Hell and Back**_

* * *

Larassa stepped out of the barracks of the desert base, blinking in the glaring sunlight. She put her sunglasses on along with her patrol cap before she began making her way through the camp. She felt the eyes on her, but she was used to this so she avoided all eye contact with the soldiers as she passed them.

It was only the morning in Afghanistan, but damn was it hot out. Larassa could alerted feel her body heating up, faster than a normal human's would thanks to her genetic enhancements. Pulling out a cigarette and her lighter, Larassa lit her cigarette before pocketing the lighter and blowing out some smoke.

Looking around, she soon spotted the commander's tent, which was her current destination. As she made her way towards it, paw prints were left in the dirt behind her, signifying the fact that she had wolf digitigrade legs as opposed to normal human legs and feet. On the bright side, she didn't have to worry about keeping her boots clean. She couldn't physically wear them anymore.

* * *

**"You know, those things will kill you,"** Tarkov stated, referring to the mysterious mutant's cigarette. He had noticed her walking directly past him, avoiding all eye contact.

Tarkov was sitting on a nearby crate, one leg propped up on the crate and the other dangling to the ground, cleaning his rifle. Doing so was the only way for him to stay distracted from the uncomfortable heat. He wasn't accustomed to the intense heat. He preferred the cold, mountains any day.

On the ground beside him lay a tan cloak, which he typically used for camouflage, with his equipment neatly strewn on it. His equipment was cleaned, but nevertheless ready for further cleaning.

Inside, Tarkov was glad there was someone else for the soldiers to stare at. They had all been giving him looks for the last hour since he'd emerged from the barracks.


	2. Chapter 2

Larassa stopped mid-step, slowly turning her head to see a soldier sitting on a crate nearby. She let out a small sigh and then turned so she was directly facing him before puffing out some more smoke.

She looked the soldier up and and down, immediately recognizing that he wasn't just any normal US soldier. Spec Ops? No, he didn't have any US standard-issued uniform so it seemed.

Meeting the soldier's gaze, Larassa said evenly, **"Surprisingly enough, smoking can't do a damn thing to me."** Thanks to her enhanced regenerative abilities, Larassa's lungs and body actually continuously healed itself whenever she smoked so it couldn't harm her in the slightest.

* * *

Tarkov allowed the smallest grin. He'd figured the seemingly naive girl would reply with such a remark. **"So, having a lit cigarette five feet from an ammo depot, ten feet from a fuel truck, and smoking while walking through fumes from a helicopter that took off two minutes ago won't kill you?"**

Tarkov stood from his crate and made a couple of decisive steps towards her while maintaining the met gaze, keeping his thousand-yard stare on her. **"Do everyone within 200 yards a favor, and put it out, cowgirl,"** Tarkov pointed at her cigarette and then to the gawking soldiers near the pair.


	3. Chapter 3

Larassa grinned devilishly, her sharp canines showing, at the soldier's demand and said slyly, **"Whatcha gonna do, pretty boy? Make me?"** This said, she let out a low growl, her wolf tail making a slight appearance behind her as a slight breeze brushed over the area.

In a flash, Larassa's eyes shifted to a golden, glowing color before she blinked and they went back to their normal gold-brown color. She took in another breath of her cigarette and blew out the smoke towards the soldier, hoping that he hadn't noticed her eye color change. She wasn't about to explain to some unknown soldier her genetic enhancements and abilities.

The other soldiers here were too wary of Larassa to give her a good fight, verbal or physical, but maybe this one was different and would. Larassa loved adrenaline rushes more than anything, most likely due to her wolf genes, and fights always gave her one.

* * *

Not moving a muscle as the mutant punk blew smoke in his face, Tarkov formulated a response faster than most people could have even registered the offense. This mutant was quite the performer, wasn't she? He knew she would likely make a big scene if he tried to remove the cigarette or do some impressive move.

He had no energy or patience for such games. He rarely ever did. Plus, he had a crowd watching.

Tarkov cocked his head to one side and looked the girl up and down before responding, **"No. I'm going to let you do whatever you want. You'll get yourself killed soon enough, and I will only have to worry about leading men and women who actually want to be led."**

Shooting a short glance at the watching troops, Tarkov then turned on his heel and walked back to his equipment. Over his shoulder, he added, **"I'd appreciate it if you tried to kill yourself elsewhere though."** He then sat down on his crate, picking up a rifle part and a rag before he began calmly cleaning his gear again.


	4. Chapter 4

Larassa rolled her eyes at Tarkov and said, **"Fine by me. The government didn't make me to be a leader anyhow. Plus, I'm not kidding when I said that I can't die. I've been beaten to death by human standards, but not mine yet."** Grinning after saying this, Larassa puffed out some more cigarette smoke before turning away from Tarkov, as she made her way to the commander's tent.

Upon entering the tent, Larassa walked straight towards the commander, who was busy talking with a few officers around a planning able that was covered by a map, which was riddled with small soldiers and flags. Changing direction, Larassa opted to sit on a crate near a table nearby while she waited for the commander to finish his current brief. She knew from the past that directly approaching the commander when he was busy never worked out. It only ended up with Larassa either getting in trouble or she'd get the cold shoulder. Either way, she never got anything done taking that approach.

Luckily, the commander could only give her orders for whatever missions she'd go on since those orders always came from higher up the chain of command. Nobody present was above Larassa so she was basically free to do just about anything she wanted within legal rights of course. Even smoking a cigarette around a volatile area was okay for her, as long as she was smart about it, which she was...for the most part.

* * *

Tarkov waited for Larassa's back to be towards him before he lifted his hand and made the shape of a gun with his fingers, aiming it at her head and mimicking firing it at her. He then spat into the dirt beside him in disapproval. _Very impressive, child,_ he thought to himself. _Where do they get these infants, anyway? If I end up on an op with her, I'll be babysitting the whole time._

Tarkov finished cleaning the firing pin of his rifle and then slid it back into place with the other components of the lower receiver, before clicking the rifle together and testing the firing mechanism. He took his time packing his gear, carefully placing it in his pack and on his kit. He then casually entered the commander's tent to find Larassa sitting, bored at a nearby table.

Moving around her, Tarkov sat down opposite of her and then wondered if she'd gotten the same memo about the brief starting in ten mikes. Deciding against any potential conversation with her, Tarkov produced a knife and sharpening tool and then began working on his knife.


	5. Chapter 5

Larassa frowned when the mystery soldier joined her in the tent. _Great, he must be some kind of merc they called in._

Now that she thought about it though, her last mission hadn't been as discreet as they'd wanted it to be. Maybe they were assigning her a new partner.

At the thought of this, Larassa's eyes flashed golden again, but she quickly averted her gaze and practiced slow breathing to bring her heart rate back down. Once she was settled, Larassa blew out some more cigarette smoke and then stood up, walking over to look at some of the commander's medals while she waited, leaving her back to the mystery soldier.

The back of Larassa's uniform had two long slashes in it, diagonal along her back, between her shoulder blades and spine. She'd managed to keep her wings a secret for most of her career, as only her creators were fully aware of them. It was bad enough that Larassa was genetically and physically modified to resemble a wolf in person, she didn't need people seeing her as a bird as well. Plus, her wings were more fragile than she'd like to admit.

Thanks to her high rank, which wasn't really any proper rank to begin with, Larassa was able to get away with smoking almost anywhere she wanted to. Her rank put her above everyone in the military except for the general of the Army, so she had quite a bit of leniency in what she could or couldn't do.

* * *

Tarkov immediately noticed the brief elevation in Larassa's breathing, followed by her standing up to look at the medals on display nearby. _She's frustrated about something. Maybe she realizes they're about to glue me to her for an operation, or op._

Then Tarkov took notice of the slashes in the back of Larassa's uniform. His blue eyes flashed with interest, yet reverted back to his knife so as to avoid displaying said interest.

**"You know, if we're both in here, that probably means you're the rogue operative I've been called in to operate alongside. That would also mean the rest of your support team is gearing up outside, wondering if you're as bratty as you made yourself look out there."** Tarkov stopped briefly to observe his blade and let Larassa turn to face him, as she surely would.

**"Just so you know, I don't care what powers or abilities you have. I care about your attitude. I operate with rules in the field. If you are willing to try to do the same, then we should be able to come out of this in one piece."**


	6. Chapter 6

Larassa scoffed at what the merc said to her and turned slowly to meet his gaze. She then spoke with an even tone, **"Look, you may be used to having a support team, but that's not how it works with me. I don't get support. I support myself. If you're truly getting stuck with me, then you're going to have to get used to working alone fast. Granted, you'll be with me, but if you're to noisy or slow me down, then I'll gladly turn you into my own personal support team, shove a radio in your hand, and then handcuff you to the nearest solid object. I don't believe you understand who you're talking to, _merc_. I'm Larassa, a genetically enhanced assassin designed solely by the US government for covert ops in all of our wars. I have no rank, but nobody on this base can give me a single command, other than giving me orders for my missions."**

Larassa never took a step towards the merc since she wasn't here to threaten any potential partners, but she wanted to set the records straight ahead of time that she wasn't just some brat. She was a trained assassin and had more kills to her name than some of the best snipers in the US Army, or military for that matter. She didn't want some merc coming in and thinking he was hot stuff compared to her.

* * *

Tarkov sat forward in his chair. **"For a deadly, sneaky assassin, you sure know how to make quite a display of yourself. And if you were so accurate and deadly, then why am I here?" **

Tarkov felt frustration slowly building in him. **"Don't make the mistake of thinking I am 'just some merc', or that I want a team of Army dildos slowing me down, either. But it looks like we've been dealt a hand, and we've got to roll with it." **

Tarkov could sense Larassa's frustration with the reality of his words, and feeling no remorse for being honest, continued, **"You're sitting on awfully high horse here, and one professional to another, it makes you look and act like an eight year old."**

Tarkov ended there. He could've continued, but he sensed that the commander would be stepping between them at about the time Larassa would be slamming her fist down on the table in anger towards Tarkov.


	7. Chapter 7

Larassa spat to the side and pointed her cigarette at the merc, **"Look, I don't know how mighty high and tough you think you are, but you've got no damn right to barge in here and act as if you're better than me. You don't even know the things I can do. I'm great at what I do, hence why they always call me in for these kinds of jobs so maybe you shouldn't be so damn quick to judge, merc. As for why you're here, I guess the job's threat level is bigger than usual so they probably think I need backup or something."**

She could tell he seemingly didn't like being called 'merc' so she was definitely going to pronounce that as her partner's nickname. Hearing that she was acting and looking like a child, Larassa's eyes flashed gold and stayed gold as she growled, **"I ain't no child, merc."**

She then tossed her cigarette aside and grounded it in the dirt before taking a threatening step closer to the merc, glaring down at him since her digitigrade legs naturally made her taller than everyone. The commander, a captain, then walked over and grabbed Larassa's shoulder before yanking her back a few steps from the merc. He glared at her and said, **"Lara, calm down. I don't want you beating up your new partner before you two even begin the mission!"**

Larassa snarled at the captain as she said, **"Then maybe you should tell him to stop acting so high and damn mighty!"** The captain glanced at the merc briefly before looking back at Larassa and saying, **"Lara. Calm. Down. That's an order."**

Larassa snarled again at this and said, **"You don't even have the authority to tell me what to do!"** She threw her hands into the air, but turned away from the merc and captain as she put her hands on her hips and began pacing to help calm herself down. The captain was lucky that Larassa had some damn respect for him, or he could've been pulled into a fight right then and there.

* * *

Tarkov sat patiently and listened to the girl's ranting. Even as the commander interrupted her, the thought occurred to Tarkov that he would like to be anywhere but in this command tent with this bi-polar mutant and this stiff boring captain. He remembered why he hated briefings… and self-entitled people. _Humility is truly dead, isn't it?_ He thought.

Even as he had attempted to decelerate the situation and maybe develop a professional relationship with this girl, she had only blown up more. _Why did she make this sharp right when I tried to relate to her?_ He wondered, before locking up any doubt that she was simply insane.

He noticed her do that 'thing' again…her skin seemed to tingle, and her breathing became quick before slow and controlled. He even thought he saw a twitch of some sort on her back, where those slashes were. _Some kind of glands, maybe? Wings?_ He hated how unpredictable mutants could be.

As the commander began talking about the decision to give her another partner being over his head, which Tarkov knew he was lying about, he began to calculate his next interaction with the mutant. _After she hears about this next mission, her temper will be flaring, for sure._ He decided it would be best to just remain quiet and let things play out. He pulled out his knife and sharpener again.

Even if it bothered the commander, he had been briefed the entire mission before he had landed in Afghanistan. He had no need to hear the same crap twice. _These people can kiss my ass with all their pretentious garbage. _


	8. Chapter 8

The captain sighed and looked back at Tarkov, **"Sorry about that. I can't really say she's ever different than how she is now. Anyhow, have you been briefed on the mission already? I know some of you arrive with prior briefings."**

Larassa calmed herself back down and then resolved to light another cig and smoke it, one of the few things in life that kept her calm for the most part. She sat down on a nearby crate and blew out some cig smoke while she listened to the captain and the merc chat. She already hated this damn mission and she hadn't even received the briefing yet.

* * *

**"Yes, sir, I have,"** Tarkov answered, ready to move things along. **"We have to infiltrate an old base buried in the southern desert, and recover files from an old contracting company that was operating with some kind of experimental WMD in the area...and you want us to interview locals to see what they know."**

Now came the part that he was actually interested in. **"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why did you place us on this op? Sounds more like some kind of military intelligence expedition, not a mission for two hardened fighters and a mounted infantry platoon."**

Now it was time to play 'humble clueless soldier'. **"I would venture a guess that you want to scale down this _operative's_ range of motion, given her recent record, but I can only speculate... sir,"** He emphasized 'operative', as if to indicate that she was something more or less than just that title. The sir was tasked on, out of necessity. He needn't ruffle anyone else's feathers in this room.


	9. Chapter 9

Larassa stayed silent as the captain nodded at what all Tarkov said. He then replied, **"Well, we actually don't have a mounted infantry platoon for you two. Other than that, the rest of your information from your briefing is correct. You two will be going in alone and we want this as low key as possible. The less contact we have with the enemy or potential enemies, the better. We want you in and out. If you can compete this whole mission without any backfires or fights breaking out, then the better."**

The captain paused and glanced over at Larassa as if worried about something and then sighed. Running a hand through his buzzed hair, the captain then looked between the two before saying, **"Also, Tarkov is in charge of this operation."**

Larassa's head shot up at this and she was immediately glaring at the captain as if it were somehow his fault. She let out a low growl and said, **"The hell I'm not in charge of this."**

The captain met Larassa's gaze and said evenly, **"It wasn't my call to make, Lara."**

Snarling at this answer, Larassa shot to her feet and then promptly exited the tent, her wolf tail trailing after her through the tent flap.

The captain let out another sigh before looking at Tarkov and saying, **"Sorry about Larassa. She's probably the most stubborn and hardheaded soldier I know. God knows I've been trying to get through to her for years. She knows you're in charge though and while she'll probably backtalk almost every second, she'll follow your orders. She fights back all the time, but ultimately will do what she's told. Even if she does it the most annoying way possible and takes her sweet ass time with it…"**

The captain trailed off as he walked back to his planning table. He then looked back up at Tarkov and said, **"As difficult as this may be, I'd suggest trying to talk with her before you two start the mission, or at least begin traveling to your destination. It might help if you two aren't completely clueless as to who each other are. There's a Blackhawk waiting on the pad for you two. The pilot is on standby in the hangar and is ready to go the minute you two are. I'd suggest packing some cold weather gear. It's supposed to get very cold out there at night."**

Glancing back at the tent flap where Larassa had recently exited, he added, **"Larassa is definitely pissed about not being in charge, all things considered. So, I'd suggest treading carefully around her. As you can tell, she doesn't have the best control over her anger. Her genetic enhancements definitely don't help with that…"**

This said, he then looked back down at the map spread out on his table and then began muttering to himself as he looked it over.

* * *

Tarkov stood and sheathed his knife while letting out a jagged sigh and walking over to the command table. **"Well, cold weather shouldn't be a huge issue since my armor is self-regulated. I'm going to need a couple of extra power armor cells, if you can spare them. Let's pack some extra cold weather gear for the girl. Rations to use for barter if need be, and a full rack of C4 and det-charges."**

Tarkov produced a Cuban cigar in a metal sheath and held it up in front of himself, getting the commander's attention. **"She assumes I am a gruff bastard, but you and I both know everything I do is a calculated move. She has no friendly connection to me, but she must obey. Thus, I have a chance to prove to her what a disciplined soldier can accomplish."**

Tarkov leaned over the command table next to the commander, while stowing the cigar. **"You and I both know I'm not here for the money. I'm here for an ally. Can I count on that, sir?"**

The commander picked up a coffee mug and briefly took a sip, before replying, **"You know my hands are tied in many places, but you're under my command now so supplying you will not be a problem. Supply requests will be put in in just a moment for that gear."**

Pausing, the commander then shifted his gaze directly to Tarkov, as he said, **"Tarkov, bring back this operative, bag this mission, and you'll have the entire military's attention. This op came from higher up. We're talking Naval Intelligence."**

Tarkov slung his rifle. This meant a lot for his goals. He was used to pressure, but he would also be damned if he let a bad-tempered mutant operative ruin his overall goals. Nodding at the commander, Tarkov said, **"Then I guess I had better get my game face on."**

With that, Tarkov exited the tent. He walked outside and produced the cigar, rolling it in his hands before stuffing back in his armor.

Being honest with himself, he wasn't looking forward to this next talk with Lara. He was still getting a grip on her personality, but he had to get her up to speed with his expectations as the leader of this operation.


	10. Chapter 10

Larassa was sitting on a crate outside, her digitigrade legs propped up on a small rock.

She heard the tent flap opening and looked up to see the merc exiting the tent.

She frowned at him, but said nothing as he approached her. Hopefully, he wasn't here to rub it in that Lara wouldn't be leading this operation. That pissed her off to new heights.

Blowing out some more cig smoke, she patiently waited for him to say something to her. He probably was about to try to ask her about herself or something so they can get to know one another better.

If this was the case, she was about to laugh in his face. She didn't share details about herself with others except for the bare necessities.

She had a phenomenal track record of successful missions, but something had gone terribly wrong with the last one.

Lara's last mission had ended with her partner dead and herself mortally wounded. Even for a mutant, Lara was lucky to still be breathing. She'd hated it when she'd had to call in a rescue for herself and her dead partner. Nothing like that should've ever happened...yet it did.

* * *

Tarkov approached the girl and sat on a crate next to her. He leaned forward and made the best expression of sincerity he could muster.

**"Listen, I know you don't like being on a leash. But this doesn't need to be like pulling teeth. I know how run an op, and I know how to give you space, but you must obey me, unless you want men to die. From what I've mustered, you've lost too much already to take any more chances with peoples' lives."**

* * *

Larassa puffed out some more smoke before spitting to the side.

She met the merc's gaze and then said evenly, **"I don't want to see anyone else die."**

She then averted her gaze as she muttered, **"I've seen my fair share of death by now."**

Puffing out smoke again, she looked back at the merc and said, **"Name's Larassa. Let's just get this over. My bag's always packed so I'm ready whenever you are." **

* * *

**"Tarkov. Before we get ready to head out, I need to know some of your abilities, so I can plan accordingly. Also, I've commissioned some field supplies for you, in case it becomes necessary."**

Tarkov sat back on the crate, expressing some relief that he can get down to business with Larassa.

* * *

Larassa stiffened at this request and then glanced around, seeing the various soldiers around them.

Keeping her voice low, Larassa puffed out some smoke again before saying, **"If you wish to know my abilities, then we'll need somewhere much more private than this."**

Upon hearing supplies were commissioned, Larassa nodded and added, **"Very well, I'll add them to my supplies."**

She was curious what he'd requested for her, but from what she could tell, he probably had been smart in what he'd asked for.

* * *

Tarkov leaned forward again.

**"Why not in front of your men? Won't they be seeing this in the field?"**

* * *

Lara let out a low laugh at this. She grinned devilishly as she looked at Tarkov and said, **"They already know what I am and what I can do. I'm more concerned with how you'll take it. The last thing I want is one of my men rushing to my aid and accidentally harming you. To my men, I'm hope. To my enemy...I'm the Devil."**

* * *

**"Dramatic. My guess is we will see soon enough what you can do. Are you up to snuff with your skills? I know you've been recovering recently."**

* * *

Noting Tarkov's lack of care for her little speech, Larassa narrowed her eyes. She decided against making a scene though. She'd already done that once today.

Hearing Tarkov's question, Larassa frowned and replied, **"I'm not sure. Like you say, I've been recovering. My skills could be getting a bit rusty, though they've never really been a problem for me."**

* * *

Tarkov stood.

**"Guess you'll have to prove just how much devil you've got in you. We should go and see what you're capable of. Where can we go to see these powers?"**


	11. Chapter 11

Larassa thought about it for a moment and then said, **"We have a small training area with popup targets. Besides my powers, I do normally have my set of throwing knives, my pair of daggers, and my pair of silenced SOCOM pistols handy. They're all in my packed bag, which is in my quarters so we can drop by there before heading to the training area." **

This said, Larassa stood up and took a few steps in the direction of her quarters before pausing and looking back at Tarkov to make sure he was following her before she left him behind.

* * *

**"Let's see those, too, then."** Tarkov replied, following after Larassa.

**"But lets not take too long with it. We should move out fairly soon."**

* * *

Larassa nodded at this and then led the way to her small barracks, which only housed her.

She walked around the various equipment in the room that ranged from more advanced tactical gear to your average gear for any soldier.

Going straight to the lightweight assault pack on her bed, Larassa opened it and began putting on her holsters for her throwing knives, which was a set of five each, and the holsters for both of her combat knives and as well as holsters for both of her pistols. She then also put on her magazine holster for her pistols.

Once done, Larassa hoisted her assault pack onto her back and then tightened the straps while walking outside and pausing at Tarkov's side.

* * *

Tarkov waited outside the barracks. _Of course she's not prepared. We won't get out of here for another hour_, he thought, but kept it to himself.

He lifted his SMG from his hip and examined the chamber. A smudge of residue caught his attention. He noted to clean it on the chopper ride out.

He would have to dedicate much of the ride to mapping out his destinations and writing some contingencies...in other words, keeping away from conversation with Larassa.

They would need to be oriented with the area before nightfall, and that meant leaving within 30 mikes.

He took out his headset, clipped it on his ear, and then checked into the commander's comms, saying, **"Sir, please inform my pilot that we will be wheels up in thirty."**

When Larassa finally re-emerged from the barracks, Tarkov noted a sizable assault pack, likely full of her equipment.

**"Have everything?"**

Tarkov desperately wanted this to take as little time as possible.

* * *

Lara nodded and then silently brushed past Tarkov, as she began making her way to the training area.

This hopefully wouldn't take long at all, but she hadn't done anything combat-related in weeks due to her recovery and extensive injuries. She doubted her skills had really gotten worse in that timeframe, but it never hurt to be careful.

As she walked to the training area, Larassa's paws, which were in place of where her human feet would've been, left paw prints in the dirt, something that was very useful in tactical situations due to people assuming the paw prints were just from stray dogs.

Forcing herself to focus upon arriving at the training area, Larassa chose a random lane and punched the button for the pop-up targets to begin.

She then held up one of her pistols and began firing away as targets popped up. Other than missing one or two targets, Lara was overall successful in the practice.

Grinning to herself, she put in a fresh magazine before holstering her pistol. She then left the lane, as she went to a lane that was different than all of the others. This lane was completely open and had only three pop-up targets in it.

Punching the target button in the lane, Larassa quickly unsheathed two of her throwing knives as one of the targets popped up. Whipping one of the knives at the target, Larassa wasn't happy to see it land in the target's shoulder. The target dropped and another popped up. Larassa quickly threw her next knife at it and was pleased to see it land on the target's forehead. This continued until all ten of Larassa's knives were used up.

Pleased with her results, Larassa then went down the lane as she retrieved all of her knives before sheathing them diagonally across her chest. Satisfied with everything, Larassa exited the lane and went to retrieve extra, full magazines for her pistols before saying over her shoulder to Tarkov, **"Ready."**


	12. Chapter 12

Tarkov followed Larassa to the range, and sat back against a table while crossing his arms to watch her practice.

He noticed her miss a couple of targets with her handguns, obviously a tad rusty. Then she used her throwing knives against a few other targets, also a tad rusty. All in all, however, her skills were mostly still there.

Whatever injury she had last suffered hadn't taken long to heal. Larassa announced she was 'ready', but Tarkov was not yet satisfied.

**"Larassa, Any commando can throw knives and shoot targets. You realize I haven't seen your file, right? Show me your mutant abilities." **Tarkov figured this might be too abrupt and might offend her asking outright, but had no desire to play games or wait any longer.

**"Tell me about what those scientists did to you. Tell me about those slits in your you can do that we can use for this mission."**

* * *

Upon hearing Tarkov demanding her to tell him what the scientists did to her, Larassa let out a low growl, her eyes flashing gold.

Larassa had a small flashback back to a moment when she was on an operating table with her heart racing in fear while scientists cut into her legs and all she could do was scream in agony in response. Then in a flash, she was back in the present.

Larassa blinked and then said, **"All right, merc." **

Crossing her arms over her chest, Larassa then flickered her tail behind herself as she said, "**To put it bluntly, I'm part werewolf and part raven. The slits on the back of my uniforms is so my wings can be utilized whenever necessary, though I don't often use them. It's not like they're bulletproof and they can be damaged easily."**

Larassa then paused to hear whatever Tarkov's next questions may be. She figured what she'd said would be enough, though she somehow doubted it'd be enough for Tarkov.

Larassa really didn't want to show her powers since she always felt like she was slowly losing control with her werewolf powers. Her wings could be shown without any real concerns though, especially on base where she was safe.

Sighing, Larassa then unfurled her wings that had been buried underneath her uniform and tucked away. Once completely extended, her wings reached an impressive eighteen foot wingspan and were an ebony color all around, shining slightly in the sunlight.

Gesturing towards her tail and feet, Larassa then added, **"If you can't already tell, I also have a wolf tail and digitigrade legs. Basically, I have wolf legs and paws, no human legs or feet."**

* * *

Tarkov had figured there would be more to her elaboration, but she seemed to be done talking and he was still unsatisfied.

**"So, are we sticking to knives and guns for this op, or are you going to randomly whip some insane power out that might get us both killed?"** Tarkov hated surprises that could be prevented.

* * *

Larassa sighed and tucked her wings against her body, not bothering to hide them under her uniform this time. What was with this guy? Nothing seemed to even impress him to the slightest and Larassa was supposedly one of the government's more successful experiments.

To answer Tarkov's question, Larassa said, **"My other…powers are a bit unstable most of the time and are for the most part all connected. I tend to only use them for short periods of time so I can keep them under control. So, yeah, knives and guns should probably be the primary weaponry involved here."**

* * *

Inside his head, Tarkov was exploding. _Why can't she just TELL ME what she can do so I can KNOW what to expect?_ Outside, he was his common, stone-faced self.

He sensed that it would take some time to coax out these powers, which he, to some degree, was interested to see at some point, though hopefully not while in a gunfight.

**"Okay, then. Let's stick to guns and knives, for now. It's worked for me, so far. But a plan is my favorite weapon. We're wheels up in fifteen mikes, so do you need to grab anything else? Have you eaten?"** Tarkov wanted to make sure she, like any troop under his command, was squared away. He hated getting into the field and realizing someone forgot something, or was unprepared. Improvisation was such a chore.

* * *

Larassa hated her werewolf powers and how unstable they felt whenever she used them. It was like she was slowly slipping away mentally when she began using them, as if there was another being buried deep inside her. It was highly unnerving so it caused her to hate using her werewolf powers.

Upon hearing Tarkov's questions, Larassa responded, **"I'm all good to go."**

She'd packed some jerky in her backpack along with a couple packs of cigs in case they were out in the field longer than expected.

Unlike everyone else, Lara's digestive system couldn't handle MRE's due to her genetic changes and physical changes to her body, inside and out. Thus, she always had to pack her own food to eat, and it seemed that jerky was the only real thing that was quick and easy for her to pack. She just had to pack extra water sources since jerky always made her really thirsty.


	13. Chapter 13

**"Then let's head to the chopper. The quicker we're out the better."**

Tarkov was ready to go. He always had his pack ready before an op. He hoped Lara was prepared for extended field time. This op was going to be very up in the air about when it would end.

* * *

Larassa nodded in agreement, double checking her gear for a minute or two before saying, **"Lead the way, merc." **

She'd never been one to show a lot of respect to her higher ups so she didn't feel the need to act any differently around Tarkov. She just hoped this mission would go smoothly and they'd only be out in the field for a couple days at most.

* * *

Tarkov crisply wheeled around and began moving toward the helipad area.

As he did, he un-slung his rifle, checked the chamber, and began examining it again for cleanliness.

After a moment of doing so, he slung the rifle, took out his headset and heads-up eyepiece, switched them on, and put them on his head. He never wasted a moment, and constantly checked his gear.

Without saying any words, he made his way across the main barracks area, knowing the other soldiers were watching in curiosity.

_Not like they'd have the clearance to have any idea who we were, or what we were doing_, he thought.

He began adjusting his armor's straps, making sure everything was tight and consolidated.

He felt the mutant girl's following him in his peripherals, so had no worries of her. He assumed she, too, was preparing for the next mission.

This was what Tarkov referred to as 'the mental twilight'. It was while the troops were preparing to leave for a mission in that they became most nervous and unpredictable, much like twilight in the field.

He still wasn't sure how Larassa would function under stress. He was confident his mission would go well though. He had been in many more difficult ones before.

In his head, he ran himself through the pre-combat body checks. _Limbered up, no current injuries, ate 2 hours ago; stomach steeled and full, full gear on, all kits packed, weapons clean, comms online, callsigns assigned - wait, need callsigns. _

As they approached the chopper area, he signaled the pilot to begin prepping for takeoff by holding his hand with two fingers up and waving them in a circle, the universal sign for 'pack it up and move it out'.

As he did so, he turned to Larassa. **"We need callsigns. Mine for this mission will be Tiger-6. Have any preferences for yours? We can inform command on the ride so they can get tracking on us."**

This reminded him that he also would need to ping the commander before boarding the helo, so as he finished saying this, he pulled up the CO's comms on his HUD. He came to a stop outside the helipad and awaited Larassa's response.

* * *

Larassa watched Tarkov prepping himself as they walked towards the helipad with amusement. He really did seem to take his job seriously, much more seriously than Lara did.

She watched him signal to the pilot to start up the heli and then came to a halt when he stopped and asked her for a callsign. Going with her usual one, Lara said, **"Wolf-7."**

She looked over at the heli and wondered how long it'd take them to get to their destination. She'd probably try to get some rest on the ride. She struggled enough with getting proper sleep, but she always found it easy to take naps throughout the day.


End file.
